Page 80 of Morel Dilemma

“Yes.” Tassani shook his head glumly. “I guess I don’t want you to do anything except… be alert. If the one the queen believes is Sylinesla doesn’t come, it shouldn’t matter, regardless.” He turned his pensive expression toward one of the windows. Had he put a particular emphasis on the word shouldn’t or was that her imagination? “Can you warn her to stay away?”

“Yes.”

“Will she heed your warning?”

Rylana hesitated, wishing she’d argued more vociferously for Sylin not to come tonight. Instead, she’d brought that flier of enticement. Not that Sylin wouldn’t have spotted one of the fliers on her own. The last Rylana had seen, Vilma was pasting them all up and down Acorn Street as well as by the docks where ships were coming in.

“Your pause makes me believe she’s an independent person who does as she wishes and won’t be deterred.” Tassani smiled faintly.

“Nothing deters her. Not even questionably fermented coffee. I…” Rylana spotted the lieutenant approaching and trailed off.

“You’ve found a potential threat?” Tassani asked his officer.

“Not necessarily, sir, but there is an…” The elf glanced at Rylana. “An unexpected bed in the storeroom. An entire set of bedroom furnishings, actually.”

“Chef Jildarin has his lair back there, does he not?” Tassani asked, though he’d been there for the arrival of the bedroom set and knew all about it.

“Yes, but it doesn’t look like— Well, there’s a lavender comforter on the bed.” The elf looked at Rylana again.

She folded her arms over her chest. She’d purchased the blanket at the market, finding the color soothing and perfect for a relaxation space, but all she said was, “You think a dragon would be aware that some colors suggest masculinity or femininity in human culture? And apparently in elven culture? And that he would be above sprawling out on a lavender throw?”

“It’s lacy,” the lieutenant said.

“Heinous.”

“Further, it smells of your scent,” he continued. “That puzzled me since dragons don’t traditionally allow any but their mates—their dragon mates—to share their lairs.”

“We have a special relationship. I’m his business partner.”

“I’m unaware of dragons allowing business partners into their lairs.”

“To be fair,” Tassani said, “few dragons engage in entrepreneurship, so we don’t really know what their cultural norms are in that area.”

“True,” the lieutenant said. “When I realized the furnishings belonged to the female human, I wondered if it was possible the elf assassin had spent time there as well, since she’s a known companion of this one.” He pointed at Rylana. “There’s a bow, quiver, and a sword leaning against a crate back there.”

“Those are my weapons, not hers,” Rylana said, “and I didn’t know that your troops would be smelling my bedroom set as part of their search for threats, Captain.”

Tassani’s cheeks grew a touch pink, but he sturdily said, “I ordered them to be thorough.”

“Do you want me to open the wardrobe drawers so your troops can smell my underwear too?”

“That’s not necessary.”

“We’ve already searched the wardrobe,” the lieutenant offered.

“With your noses?” Rylana asked.

“Not… specifically.” The lieutenant shifted. Were his cheeks also growing pink? Good. He deserved to be discomfited. “There weren’t any additional weapons in the bedroom area, sir, and the ones I’ve mentioned were tied. Do you want us to open any of the crates or kegs? They’re labeled as items that would make sense in a restaurant, but it’s possible that’s a ruse, and that there are weapons or explosives housed within.”

“I do all the inventory ordering,” Rylana said. “And I can assure you that Jildarin doesn’t put armaments, bombs, booby traps, or other dangerous items on his grocery list. Unless you count nutmeg, which I’ve learned can cause psychedelic effects, palpitations, and severe nausea in high doses. Oh, and ginger is a blood thinner. The queen doesn’t suffer from hemophilia, does she?”

“Certainly not,” the lieutenant said, but then looked with less certainty at his captain.

“I don’t think so, but she’s not coming for the ginger, regardless.” Tassani waved for the lieutenant to continue his search, hopefully without molesting anything else in the bedroom area. “Where were we in our discussion?” he asked, lowering his voice. “That distracted me.”

“As talk of lacy lavender comforters is wont to do.”

“It was more the discussion of undergarments that prompted my mind to wander.” His smile returned.